Record low temperature of the season

Published: Sunday, January 27, 2008, 18:32 [IST]

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Gangtok, Jan 27 (UNI) Cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh and adjacent areas coupled with westerly trough of low pressure on the western disturbance and another cyclonic pressure over Eastern UP, Bihar and Bengal have brought rain and snow over Sikkim and the eastern Himalayan region with temperatures plummeting all over the state.

Areas above Changu lake in East Sikkim and Nathula plunged below zero Celsius snowfall while for Gangtok the minimum mercury showed at 3 degrees Celsius, the coldest so far this year.

The Gangtok Meteorological department recorded 5.7 mm of rainfall yesterday evening and last night. Assistant meteorologist M Das said here at the Gangtok met office the system of cyclonic circulation over Bangladesh at 1.5 to 2.1 km above sea level and the over Eastern India at 1.5 km was responsible for the weather deteriorating here.

The westerly trough over western disturbance extending from Sub Himalayan west Bengal reaching this region was at 900 mt above sea level.

The upper ridges of the surrounding hills above Gangtok were also covered by about 2 inch snow. Changu and Nathula in east Sikkim got a fresh bout of snowfall since yesterday as temperatures dropped to the coldest this season.